


Radiant Warmth

by Samm07Maurer



Series: Carmilla One Shots [3]
Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Abusive Parents, Broody Lesbian Carmilla, Canon Lesbian Character, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hollstein - Freeform, Human Laura, Human/Vampire Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, I Don't Even Know, Laura Hollis/Carmilla Karnstein Fluff, One Shot, One True Pairing, Past Abuse, Physical Abuse, Soft Gay Laura, Tags Are Hard, Vampire Carmilla, i love them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-28
Updated: 2017-09-28
Packaged: 2019-01-06 15:20:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12213534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samm07Maurer/pseuds/Samm07Maurer
Summary: *I don't own the characters*





	Radiant Warmth

**Author's Note:**

> *I don't own the characters*

She swore she'd never come back here, that it was too dangerous. And yet, here she was, standing in front of the familiar blue door and raising a shaking hand to knock. The rain still fell in thick, icy sheets around her. Her black hoodie was soaked through, and her jeans clung extra tightly to her thin legs.

She knocked on the door, trying not to wince as the wood hit her bruised knuckles. Her silent tears mixed with the rain falling down her face and she could start to see her breath as she shivered.

Then, the door opened, and she was standing in front of her again for the first time in almost two years. She still looked just as Carmilla had remembered her, warm brown eyes and dirty blonde hair, a cute sweater, and some jeans.

"Carm?" Laura spoke in disbelief.

Hearing her voice again was what made Carmilla crack. The tall brunette crumpled to her knees in front of the other girl and sobs finally broke through from somewhere deep in her chest.

What surprised her, though, is that Laura was immediately on her knees next to her, pulling her close and helping her inside the warm house. She was still shaking violently in the hallway when she was pulled into a tight hug. Laura held her tightly for a few minutes, reveling in their reunion before she held her at arm's length.

"Where the hell have you been?" She asked incredulously.

But Carmilla couldn't answer, her sobs still wracked through her small frame with too much power for words to squeeze out. She fisted her hands into Laura's shirt when the younger girl pulled her close once again.

She held the shaking girl and cooed, "Shh. I've got you now. You're okay. I'm here."

A few minutes later, Carmilla was calm enough to step back. She kept her head down and started to take slow steps back towards the door.

"I'm sorry I just showed up. You were probably sleeping or something... I should just go." She mumbled quickly, her instincts directing her to run away again.

Laura's hand shot out and gripped her wrist as Carmilla turned back around, "Carm, wait."

When it was clear the distraught older girl was listening, she continued in a soft voice, "I don't want you to go."

Carmilla furrowed her brows as she thought about staying. Her heart was singing, Laura was here and she wanted her to stay, but her mind was yelling that this was a bad idea, that staying here would put Laura in danger.

Laura caressed Carmilla's pallid cheek softly, "Please," she whispered quietly, "Stay."

Carmilla suddenly found herself nodding, "Okay."

Laura smiled and led her further into the house, sitting her down on the couch and kneeling in front of her on the floor.

"Can I take your jacket off? You'll get warmer sooner that way."

"Okay," Carmilla replied again. Laura couldn't help but notice that Carmilla's voice held no emotion and her expression was blank. Laura gently peeled the drenched jacket off her shoulder, draping it over the end of the couch to be washed later.

Laura took a second to examine the girl sitting on the couch. It was undoubtedly her ex-girlfriend, though she wasn’t much like the way Laura remembered. She seemed smaller, more timid and jumpy. She was used to seeing Carmilla be loud and brave and confident.

She placed a hand on the dark-haired girl’s knee and the motion made Carmilla jump, her eyes widening and darting to Laura’s.

“Hey, it’s okay. Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Carmilla simply continued to stare at her.

“Can you tell me what happened?”

Carmilla shook her head, no.

Okay, then, Laura thought.

“I’ll run upstairs and grab you something dry to wear, why don’t you get out of those wet clothes in the meantime? I’ll wash them with your jacket.”

Once she heard Laura’s footsteps leave, Carmilla dared to raise her head and glance around the room. There was a small fire burning in the fireplace and a mystery novel closed on a nearby chair. She guessed Laura had been reading when she’d knocked.

Laura had mentioned her changing into dry clothes, and as much as Carmilla wanted to protest, her instincts ordered her to do as she had been told. Her body was covered in reminders of what happened when she didn’t follow orders. So, she carefully got up off of the couch, ignoring her aching muscles, and began to remove her long-sleeved top.

She knew Laura wouldn’t miss the bruises covering her skin. Even if the blonde wasn’t so attentive and curious, they were completely obvious. The dark purple blotches of fresh lessons and faded yellow spots of healing pain covered her torso, back, arms, and legs like a bad preschool painting.

She folded her shirt and placed it on her hoodie, then gingerly removed her jeans, pulling the fabric down slowly enough not to tear at the tender cuts along her legs. Once they were off, she folded them and added them to the pile.

Now she was standing in Laura’s living room in nothing put her simple black bra and underwear. She almost laughed, if someone had told her this was how her night was going to go she would have probably told them to go fuck themselves.

She hugged herself, feeling very exposed, and stood in front of the fireplace, eyes transfixed on the dancing flames.

“Touch it,” Maman ordered.

“I’ll burn myself,” Carmilla argued. “I can’t put my hand in the fire.”

“Show me your unquestioning trust, my darling girl.” A cold hand touched her cheek and she resisted the urge to flinch back, “Put your hand on the log.”

She reached out but hesitated.

“Now, Mircalla!”

Carmilla blinked out of her daze and jumped back when she realized that she’d unconsciously been reaching her hand towards the blaze. She looked at her hand, palms covered in faint, yet visible, warped burn scars. Using the fireplace had been one of Maman’s favorite tortures, she’d even been branded once.

“Carm?”

Carmilla started and spun around, Laura was standing a few feet away with a pair of sweatpants and a tank top, as well as a blanket. Carmilla watched as Laura’s eyes grew wide and a small, strangled gasp left her mouth.

Carmilla knew she wasn’t beautiful and hadn’t been for a long time. Her bones stuck out sharply from her pale skin, the bruises covered almost every inch, there were cuts and scars, some from Mother and some from herself. She knew she was hard to look at, she just didn’t realize how much she hated Laura thinking that about her.

But Laura surprised her once again, laying her things on the couch and taking languid steps towards her. Ever so slowly, she raised a hand to hover just about a rather nasty patch of bruising on Carmilla’s ribcage.

“May I?” Laura whispered, her voice threatening to break.

Carmilla nodded. No one had ever asked permission before they laid a hand on her.

Carmilla closed her eyes and failed to hold in her tears as Laura ran her fingers across her body, her touch feather-light as she traced the map of Carmilla’s pain.

“Why didn’t you come to me sooner? I could have helped you.” Carmilla could hear the tears in Laura’s voice.

“I couldn’t. She would have hurt you. I had to keep you safe. So I left.” It had been the hardest thing she’d ever done.

It was quiet for a few minutes before Laura stopped observing her body and helped her into the clothes. She wrapped the fleece blanket around her shoulders and pulled her close  
on the couch.

“Why now?” Laura asked as she ran her fingers soothingly through Carmilla’s long hair.

Carmilla could still hear Mother’s harsh words ringing in her mind.

“Foolish child,” Mother tutted as she held Carmilla’s face in a vice-like grip, “thinking the stains of your sins could be washed away by your tears.”

“She kicked me out. She doesn’t want me anymore.” Carmilla answered in a tired, broken voice.

“Good.” Laura burst out, “because she can’t have you anymore. You’re staying here, with me and my dad. We’ll take care of you.”

“I can’t ask you to do that,” Carmilla refused, turning her body to face the smaller girl.

“You don’t have to,” Laura insisted, “I want you to stay. Please.”

Carmilla couldn’t believe Laura still wanted her after the way she’d hurt her.

“Okay.” She decided in a whisper.

Laura tentatively leaned forward and placed her soft lips against Carmilla’s. It took Carmilla a minute to register what was happening, but once it clicked in her brain, she gently moved her lips back against Laura’s.

When they broke apart, Carmilla leaned down to lie with her head in Laura’s lap. 

The blonde continued running her fingers through her hair as she whispered, “I’m glad you’re back, Carm.”

Carmilla smiled and nuzzled into Laura’s stomach, “I missed you, Cupcake.”

Carmilla slowly drifted to sleep, for once not surrounded by sharp pain and harsh coldness. She was, instead, surrounded by pure things: love and warmth.


End file.
